A known image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed tray, e.g., a multi-purpose tray or MP tray, an ejection tray, and an image forming unit disposed in a conveyance path extending from the MP tray to the ejection tray. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet being conveyed from the MP tray toward the ejection tray.
The MP tray is attached to a front of the image forming apparatus to open and close the front of the image forming apparatus. A roller unit is disposed above a sheet-feed opening, which is exposed when the MP tray is open. The roller unit includes a feed roller (or a pickup roller), a separation roller, and a roller holder holding the feed roller and the separation roller rotatably. The roller holder is coupled to an arm which is pivotable. When the arm pivots, the roller unit pivots about an axis coincident with a rotation axis of the separation roller. Pivoting of the roller unit allows the feed roller to move vertically between a first position and a second position higher than the first position. A separation pad contacts the separation roller from behind and above.
Before a sheet is fed, the feed roller is located at the second position and a leading end portion of a sheet supported on the MP tray is located under the feed roller. When the sheet is fed, the feed roller and the separation roller start to rotate. When the feed roller and the separation roller rotate, the arm pivots to allow the roller unit to pivot. When the roller unit pivots, the feed roller lowers from the second position to the first position and then returns from the first position to the second position. In lowering from the second position to the first position, the feed roller, which is rotating, is pressed against the sheet on the MP tray, so that the sheet is fed from the MP tray toward the conveyance path. The fed sheet is singly separated by the separation roller and the separation pad, and is supplied to the conveyance path.